Smile
by Princess of Love and Hate
Summary: Just a one-shot in which Reno and Cloud bond over something they have in common: Cloud's dead sister. Kind of a prelude to other stories that are in progress. No yaoi. Sorry.


**A/N: So, here's the first of the many things that I intend to upload. It's a FFVII-centric oneshot that I've had for a long time so… Here ya go! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII, because if I did, there'd be too much randomness.**

**-oOo-**

The blonde stalked the shadows of Midgar, seemingly fading in and out of awareness. He became conscious of his surroundings when he stopped in front of the church in the Sector Five slums. He checked his surroundings warily. Fenrir was parked in the next sector, but nobody was nearby. He liked it that way. Especially today.

He looked up at the sky through the gaping hole in the plate, blue now, but forever red in his memories. Today commemorated the day he lost his family. Lightning, Storm. He looked back to the church.

As he thought back to that horrible day, he walked. He knelt at the edge of the pool, idly watching lily petals swirl across the surface of the water. "Hey there old friend." The world went white, leaving nothing but a field of white and yellow lilies.

Aerith stood before him, green eyes gentle as she held a hand out to him. "Cloud, how have you been?"

He took her hand and stood. "Good. You?"

"Fantastic! It's been kinda lonely since Zack has been spending most of his time with Storm, but I found this other Ancient and-" She clapped her hands and bounced up and down as she talked. "I think he might like me!"

Cloud raised one gracefully arched eyebrow. "You're so… bubbly."

"Yep!" Aerith bounced some more. "Do you mind?"

He put a hand to his forehead. "You're giving me a headache. Gotta go." He faded from the world of white.

-oOo-

Cloud's phone was beeping when he came to, one hand trailing lazily in the water. A quick trip to his voicemail revealed it to be Tifa, with a message for him from Rufus.

"Hey Cloud, sorry if I disturbed you. Rufus called. He told me to ask you to keep an eye out for Reno if you're cruising around Midgar today." He frowned in confusion. Why would Reno be in Midgar today?

"Rufus said he's been acting kinda strange whenever Midgar is mentioned." Her voice became conspiratorial. "I think our favorite Turk might be feeling guilty." Tifa's voice became cheerful again. "See ya when you get back."

Cloud stood, seized by the sudden urge to visit the wreckage of Sector 7.

-oOo-

With Fenrir safely parked in Sector 6, he ventured into the destroyed sector, clearing rubble from his path as he went. He owed it to the man his sister had loved. Perched precariously on a steel beam, he surveyed the wreckage. Cloud could see the pillar Reno had detonated from here, jutting up from the wreckage like a once proud tree. There was a small cleared space around the base of said pillar.

Leaping closer over the fallen concrete, his luminescent mako eyes locked on the lean red-head sitting with his back to the crumbling pillar. A smaller figure played in the scruffy grass that grew in erratic clumps around the clearing.

Curious and not wanting to be seen just yet, the blonde wriggled into the debris closest to the pair. The small figure was a girl, about two years old, with black hair and glowing mako eyes that swirled like oceans. She pulled the grass at Reno's feet. "Papa, why crying?"

Two blonde brows rose until they disappeared into blonde spikes. Reno had a daughter? _And_ he was crying? He had to know the cause of that.

Reno lifted the girl onto his lap before he answered. "Well Dawn, Papa did something very mean right here before you were born."

"No, Papa's not mean." Small hands pet his hair, glossy red strands covered in concrete dust.

"But I was mean then sweetie." His blue eyes were shadowed with remorse, covering the hint of glowing mako that swirled lethargically in their depths. "Your mother was the only one who forgave me."

Cloud's stomach tightened. _Lightning. _Reno was sitting in that clearing with the last member of his blood family. His niece.

Unable to handle sitting there any longer, he tunneled through the wreckage, emerging in the space behind Reno.

The red-headed Turk glanced over his shoulder at the planet's savior. He smirked sadly. "Thought that would bring you out of the boonies."

Shell-shocked, Cloud whispered, "Lightning…had a baby."

Reno nodded. "Yeah. I didn't know either until I was called to the Icicle Inn to collect her effects." He teased Dawn's curls, making her giggle. "And I found her."

Cloud sat down hard across from him. "And you're the father?" Reno nodded again. "When…?"

"After I blew up this pillar." He knocked his head against the concrete. "She was masquerading as a lady at the Honeybee. 'Nuff said."

Dawn had watched this whole exchange with wide curious eyes. Tugging on her father's jacket, she pointed at Cloud. "Who's dat?"

The Turk smiled at her. "That's your momma's brother, your uncle Cloud." She waved at him shyly. "Don't be shy: go ahead and say hello."

"M'ello." It was mumbled into Reno's shirt.

He sighed dramatically. "Properly sweetie; go give him a hug."

Hesitantly, the girl tottered across the space, two pairs of eyes watching her like hawks. Quietly, Cloud asked, "Does anyone else know about her?" He shifted as she stumbled, but she caught herself and kept walking.

"Just Elena." Cloud looked up questioningly. Reno looked away, embarrassed. "Babies don't come with instruction manuals."

"Ah." Dawn was climbing into his lap. She looked up at him with huge mako blue eyes.

"Hello." She reached her arms around his neck and buried her cherubic face in his hair. Without realizing it, his face relaxed into a gentle smile as he held her to him. Reno startled him out of his reverie.

"You look like her when you smile. It's nice." Cloud looked up, confused. "I've missed it."

Carefully, Cloud stood, Dawn still holding on to him like a monkey. Reno tilted his head back to look at them. "Do you two need a ride home?"

Red locks swayed as he shook his head and stood. "Nah, got the car." He hit the unlock button and a car beeped somewhere nearby. "Besides, you probably don't have a helmet in her size."

"Granted." He handed the girl back to her father.

"See ya around Cloud." Reno looked down at his daughter. "Say bye-bye now."

"Buh-bye." She waved to Cloud before promptly falling asleep against Reno's neck. He laughed good-naturedly.

"Don't be a stranger. Drop by anytime." He turned to go.

"I will. Same goes for you." Cloud waited for a reaction.

Reno stopped dead. Uncertainly, he said, "Maybe I will." Then he kept walking.

Cloud returned to Fenrir, strangely at peace with himself. Lightning's legacy lived on, proof that Reno had been forgiven. He figured if that could happen, then maybe his sins could be forgiven too.

-oOo-

**A/N: Review if you want to hear more about Reno's little family after Meteorfall. Also, if you want me to write without OCs, just shoot me a PM and I'll see what I can do. Thanks for reading and reviews are my cookies, so please don't starve me!**


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